CM Ibrahim removed as Karnataka JD(S) chief days after criticising BJP alliance

The development comes days after Ibrahim vehemently opposed the BJP-JDS alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Janata Dal (Secular) Karnataka unit president CM Ibrahim has been removed from the post, party's national president and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda announced Thursday.

JD(S) Supremo H.D Deve Gowda with former CM H D Kumaraswamy and party state president CM Ibrahim at party leaders. (ANI Photo)

Gowda also dissolved the state working committee and appointed his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy as the ad-hoc president of the party's state unit.

"To strengthen the party, our national president today took the decision to dissolve the old unit and announced the ad-hoc committee in my leadership... Naturally, it will be communicated to him (CM Ibrahim)...My responsibility is to strengthen the party...My concentration is to develop my party, " Kumaraswamy told news agency ANI.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy hit out at Ibrahim for raising a banner of revolt against the party for aligning with BJP and indicated that stringent action will be taken against him.

"If his (Ibrahim's) party is original then let him put up a board that he is the original one. Who has stopped him? Let him do whatever he wants. He is free to do it. It is left to him," Kumaraswamy had said.

Ibrahim, a former union minister, had hinted at a possible split while asserting that his faction represents the true essence of the JD(S) as a 'secular' party. "Those who want to come with us can come, those who want to leave can do so. We will see how many MLAs are with which side," he had said.

The JD(S) in September announced an alliance with the BJP and joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.